Barbour, a Republican, has said
repeatedly over the past two weeks that the moratorium was a bad policy
that could hurt the national economy.

White House spokesman Robert
Gibbs says the administration plans to appeal the judge's decision. The
moratorium was a response to the April 20 explosion of an oil rig that
has continued to gush oil into the Gulf.

Barbour says he hopes the
judge's ruling will take effect quickly and be upheld on appeal. The
governor said earlier this month that stopping deepwater drilling for
six months could prompt some oil companies to move their equipment to
other countries.